1. The Contributions of Women during WWII

2. Women in the Home A difficult time to manage a home Rationing
Hard to find certain goods: sugar, butter, eggs, rubber, gas, metal, and nylon
Encouraged to re-use goods, instead of buying new ones, which could be used for the war effort instead
Slogan: “Use it Up, Wear it Out, Make it Do, or Do Without”
Women did their part by re-using items so that new goods could be used towards the war effort
Adapted their recipes to become more simple

3. Women in the Home Had regular domestic duties
Cooking
Cleaning
Taking care of their children
War-related volunteer work
Women’s organizations
Military canteens
Donated blood
Bought war bonds

4. Women on the Farm Many young men went overseas to fight the war
Women were left at home to meet the growing needs for the war effort
Had multiple duties on a farm
Maintain the farm
Grow enough food for the war effort, and their family
Raise their children
Keep up their home
Women worked with their children to maintain the farm
Planning
Milking cows
Tending to livestock
Managing the finances
Etc.
When men returned from the war, in many cases, women continued to help take care of the farm

5. Discussion Question
Do you think that the war would have been more difficult for rural women, compared to city women? Were the responsibilities of women on the farm more than those of women in the home?

6. Women’s Organizations
Organization example- the Women’s Institute (WIs)
“Central War Charities Fund” – raised millions of dollars during World War Two
Helped neighbors in their daily lives
The need for help increased during the war
The neighborhood included the Canadian military
Not just helping their neighbors, but helping towards the war effort
Contributions for those overseas
Made quilts
Bandages
Clothing
Sent books, newspapers, etc.
Parties: “send off” and “welcome home” parties for those in the military
Created recipe books
Helped women adjust to simpler recipes so that they would not overuse unnecessary items that were needed for the war effort

7. Women in the Industry Men left for the war, leaving behind their jobs
Women filled the jobs that were previously male jobs
Beginning of the war: 570,000 women worked in industry (mostly clerical jobs)
Five years later, near the end of the war, nearly one million women worked in the industry, in roles that were normally male factory positions
At the beginning of the war, individuals were worried about employing women in traditional male jobs
As the war progressed, it was clear that women were essential, and needed to fill the positions of men
Many women worked in factories that manufactured essential war items such as guns, ammunition, aircrafts, ships, and so on
When the war ended, women were encouraged to leave the workforce
Some women did continue working
Women were able to prove that they were capable of doing jobs that were traditionally male jobs

8. Discussion Questions
Was the Second World War an opportunity for women to prove to men that they were capable of doing traditional male jobs?
Do you think that women working in industry led to the Second Wave of Feminism, and the call for gender equality?
Do stereotypes and generalizations such as, women should work desk jobs, not factory jobs, still exist today? If so, has our world truly progressed since the Second World War?

9. Women in the Canadian Military
4500 women enlisted in the Canadian military as nurses
Part of all three branches of the Canadian military
More than two-thirds of the women nurses went overseas
Were called Nursing Sisters
Wore a military uniform which was a white dress with a white veil covering their head
Were addressed as “sister” and “ma’am”
Approximately 50,000 women served in other military roles during the Second World War
Were enlisted in the air forces, army, and navy

10. Women in the Canadian Military
Royal Canadian Air Force- Women’s Division (RCAF-WD)
Established on July 2, 1941
17,000 members by the closing of the war
Did not fly- “We serve that men may fly”
Beginning of the war
Clerical work
Administrative positions
Supporting roles
Duties by the end of the war
Parachute riggers
Laboratory assistants
Electrical and mechanical work (traditionally male work)
Many members of the RCAF-WD were sent to Britain, to work from the Canadian squadrons and headquarters

11. Women in the Canadian Military
Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC)
Created on August 13, 1941
Approximately 21,000 members
Duties at the beginning of the war: cooking, cleaning, tailoring, medical assistants
Duties by the end of the war: driving trucks, ambulances, working as mechanics, and working as radar operators
Three companies of women soldiers were sent overseas in 1943
Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS)
Created on July 31, 1942
Approximately 7,000 members
Duties at the beginning of the war: clerical and administrative work
Duties by the end of the war: on-shore radar operators and coding technicians

12. Discussion Questions
Why did women begin to do more male dominated roles as the war progressed?
Did women contribute more or less to the war effort during the Second World War, than you thought at the beginning of the class?